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 Author  Topic: "The Definitive Illustrated History of the Torpedo Boat"
newsnerd99

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jan 29, 2009 - 7:39am
I missed this release...anybody else see this?

http://www.nimblebooks.com/aom/shop.php?c=TB&n=1000&i=1934840599&x=The_Definitive_Illustrated_History_of_the_Torpedo_Boat_Volume_I_Overview_The_Ship_Killers

"This, the first volume in the author's definitive ten-volume illustrated history of the torpedo boat from 1585 to 1945, provides a narrative overview of major trends, naval objectives, and technological innovations."



Volume 2 is due for release next week:

http://www.nimblebooks.com/aom/shop.php?c=TB&n=1000&i=1934840602&x=The_Definitive_Illustrated_History_of_the_Torpedo_Boat_Volume_II_1280_1899_The_Ship_Killers



Anyone buy yet? Ten volumes is quite a feat...I'm interested to find out more.

Grandson of James J Stanton
RON 15 PT 209 and RON 23 PT 243
Check out: www.pistolpackinmama.net

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alross2

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of alross2   Send Email To alross2 Posted on: Jan 29, 2009 - 8:50am
I have volume 1 and am in a "wait and see" mode as to whether I'll buy the rest of the series. I always look at anything that self-describes itself as a "...definitive..." anything with a great deal of skepticism. In fact, the author essentially refutes this statement with his introductory material on the back cover.

Hinds is a fine illustrator. I have several of his poster-size illustrations and like them very much. I'll have to see volume 2 to decide whether his research and writing skills are comparable.

Al Ross




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Will Day

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Will Day   Send Email To Will Day Posted on: Jan 29, 2009 - 9:06am
I second Al's assessment. Let's see what V.2 looks like.....

Will

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wfzimmerman

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jan 29, 2009 - 6:03pm
I think you'll find that the timelines offered in volumes 2 through 9 are indeed definitive and do a great deal to sort out the true global history of the torpedo boat.

that said, as publisher, I feel a bit bad that people are squawking about the word "definitive," which it was my decision to put front and center in the title.

I suspect that once the complete series is out at the end of this year, it will be hard to argue with the 700+ pages, 500 figures (many color), and > 1000 footnotes in the complete work. For better or worse, there will be nothing like it anywhere else.

Cheers,

Fred Zimmerman
Publisher, Nimble Books LLC


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newsnerd99

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Feb 2, 2009 - 12:54am
Thanks for sharing Fred!

Grandson of James J Stanton
RON 15 PT 209 and RON 23 PT 243
Check out: www.pistolpackinmama.net

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  citylimits

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Feb 2, 2009 - 4:27pm
Although the subject of this nine part series including volume one, the series overview would, I am sure, be an extremely interesting read, however, my area of interest is confined to, USN PT boats of WWII.

If any of the volumes planned for production are dedicated to this specific subject then I will be there waving my CC, boots and all.
If the volume(s) containing definitive information relating to USN PT boats of WWII is shared with the craft of other navies, then my interest will be somewhat diluted.

At thirty three bucks a pop + shipping, a fair price for what is probably a limited edition run along with the apparent quality of this series, these publications would need to offer information and illustrations that have never been published before, are unique to this series and aren't already available from other currently existing sources of information such as my book case for example.

I must note that these comments are made from a very personal and subjective point of view. Potential buyers of this series reading these comments should view them in that light only.

Bruce

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  joetheartguy

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Mar 28, 2009 - 6:39am
It's That Definitive Guy

I am almost finished putting the pieces together for volume 8. That means, photo selection, maps, art, plans, portraits, and war posters, then caption writing. It can take up to an hour to one entry. I have 1,180 entry's in all nine volumes. The 10th volume is the Appendix and Index for all volumes.

I wrote the book in the course of ten years. 3-1/2 years were spent in physical and mental therapy to recover from a brain injury. So the book and 20 illustrations to 6-1/2 years. Another two years went into dealing with Seaforth and Casemate Publishing who both like the work. They just could not figure out how to make it work. Both publishers said the book would be huge and too expensive to publish. That's where Fred Zimmerman comes in. He used his head and figured out ten small books would do the same job.

The work is not yet another list of boats. It is 1,180 small story's of the transition of attempts to find a '13th Century Wonder Weapon' to the final battles of World War II. That's 665 years To cover that much ground, you have to skip around allot.

I made it my focus to understand how the PT, MTB, Sboote and other such craft came to be. It is a fascinating history and it takes about thirty separate books to find the answer. The answer is not to my credit alone. I have worked with several people from the: U.S. Naval Historical Department, starting with, John C. Reilly, Historian, Joe Judge, Curator, Hampton Roads Naval Museum, Dana Wagner,Curator, U.S. Naval Ships Model Museum, John C. Reilly, Historian, Naval Historical Society, Bob Holcombe, Confederate Naval Museum, William J. Marr, Ph.D., P.E. Commander, U.S. Navy, Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering Dept, U.S. Naval Academy, Morgiana Halley, PhD, Maritime Ethnographer, Ahmad Y. Al-Hassan, PhD,, Islamic Technology, Cambridge, and Jeremy Gillespie, Director, Navy Museums. EVERY person on this list has read pieces of my work and gave me helpful comments so I could make the point more clearly.

If your in love with PT boats and PT boats only-this ain't for you. This for people who love small boats no matter who made them. Its for people who really want to know more about naval history. Most of all, it's for those who want to know how the concept of an MTB even come about.

My break is over, back to volume 8.

JOe Hinds

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victorkchun

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Mar 28, 2009 - 3:11pm
I read Joe Hinds letter with great interest since we are both authors of the same subject, PT boat. Joe already put in a lot of time and effort researching a subject much boarder than mine.
When I first started, I too
wanted to cover boats of all nations. Working full time as a plant engineer at Hughes Aircraft Co. I soon discovered that was too big a project to handle. Wisely I decided to concentrate on US PT boats, my first love
anyway. Another smart move was I covered the US PT boat history in pictures. Thus A PICTORIAL HISTORY notation was printed on the first page. I am glad I included a model chapter (my second love) which I
hope to expend during the second printing.
With appendex and index, which my book lacks, should satisfy all the historians out there. Knowing history will make modeling more interesting
as shown by the contents of questions in the message board.
If the Hinds book is along the same vain as AT CLOSE QUARTERS,
which I hope it will, he is to be congradulated.

My break is over too, back to my second re-print.

Victor

Victor K Chun

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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Mar 28, 2009 - 5:27pm
Being the new Kid on the block as far as books are concerned, my book "Buillding the PT Boats", The Mosquito Fleet should be due out in April 2009. I do not pretend to be an Author like Victor, Joe, or Garth, but my love of the PT Boats goes very deep. I felt that many books over the years were done on the boats, but nothing on those who worked long hard hours making them.

I can certainly sympathize with Joe as to the incredible time spent working on a project like this. I have roughly three years under my belt, trying to put out a book that honors those workers. After this project, I am not sure I would want to do another, because simply put, "It takes a ton of time and energy". My Hats off to those of you here who have produced books for guys like me to enjoy. My pictorial look at the building of the boats concentrates on the three major builders, Elco, Higgins, and Huckins. It is a labor of love, and really has nothing to do with profit, so if you guys do grab a copy, go easy on me will ya. Good luck to you Joe on your incredible attempts to put out 10 volumes, you must be tired. Victor, I can't wait to see your book when it hits the market. If its anything like the others, it will be awesome. Garth, what can I say, your books have been so informative over the years, I have them all. I can't wait to read the Sub Chasers.

Finally, to all of you who continue your attempts to bring the PT Boats to the forefront, you are the best. After all, we are brothers on the same mission............


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TGConnelly

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Mar 29, 2009 - 8:08am
Frank,

I've been working closely with Squadron to get the SC book out as soon as possible due to how quickly my father is fading now ... so we'll see ... I cannot say with confidence as to when the book will be released. Squadron did once indicate that they're shooting for a May release ... but now, they seem to be hedging on that statement ........

THAT seems to be a pattern of behavior with a lot of people who I deal with ...... ya know?

I hope that the book comes out soon too Frank, time will tell.

Garth


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